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Opinion Contributor

Weakening Violence Against Women Act betrays immigrant victims

We urge lawmakers to reauthorize the act without the harmful provisions, the authors write. | AP Photo

By MARK SHURTLEFF and DOUG GANSLER | 9/11/12 9:20 PM EDT

All women who have lived through violence and abuse should have the certainty that the law will protect them — no matter their race, creed, color, religion or immigration status. Unfortunately, Congress is now considering proposals that would erode this certainty — and its failure to act is already causing harm.

We urge congressional leaders to move forward now to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, without provisions harmful to immigrants.

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As long-time law enforcement leaders, we know this act is crucial. Since passage in 1994, it has helped cut domestic violence by more than half. Still, the scourge of domestic violence remains a serious problem: One in four women experiences an act of domestic violence or sexual assault in her lifetime, and three women die every day at the hands of abusive husbands or partners.

Rates of trafficking women — often from one abusive context to another — are also alarmingly high. Roughly 100,000 survivors of human trafficking live in the United States today, according to the State Department, whose estimates suggest as many as 17,500 foreign-born victims are illegally brought in each year.

We need every available tool to fight these serious crimes, so we fully support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act — but not in a dangerously altered form that would harm vulnerable immigrant women.

We don’t use “dangerously” lightly. When the House sought reauthorization, legislators made changes that dramatically roll back important protections for battered immigrant women and their children — leaving them vulnerable to abuse and, worse, death at the hands of an abuser.

Several House provisions would further endanger immigrant survivors of human trafficking and domestic abuse. These provisions would leave them no legal way to break the cycle of violence in which they are trapped and leave law enforcement no way to bring perpetrators to justice. The changes, for example, would discourage immigrant survivors from calling the police, for fear of immigration issues — so police can’t intervene and save their lives.

For many of these women, immigration status is one more weapon that abusers use to intimidate them. Abusers often threaten, “You can’t call the police. They’ll just deport you.”

Under the existing law, our response is clear: “He’s wrong. You’re safe.” If we certify that a victim was helpful to law enforcement during an investigation, she can seek special legal immigration status — known as a U visa.

We should not be offering green cards to illegal immigrants women just because they got abused. Just deport them. This sort of program just leads to scams to get green cards. The House is right- NO VISA FOR IMMIGRANT WOMEN.

protecting women from domestic violence and prosecuting the offenders is a no brainer. But adding a special group for immigrants is not the right thing to do especially if they are illegals. Offenders should still be prosecuted but deport the others if they are illegals too.

I have a question. If Obama says the Republicans have a war against women and the Democrats are for women, why did Obama give an interview a day before 9/11, with a radio talk show host with the name of "Pimp with a Limp"? Does that mean he's ok with pimps? Would any President in the past or in the future who claims a certain party is against women would ever grant this interview? Why isn't the media all over this? Shouldn't women be outraged?